Gov't aims to make new public work programme more fair, transparent

The government aims to make Hungary's public work system simpler, fairer and more transparent, state secretary in charge of employment policy Sándor Czomba said at a press conference on Friday.

The government's new public work system, to start in January, will be supported by several pillars, Czomba said. The most important will be businesses — businesses that can get up to 70pc in support for wages and contributions if they take on unemployed people in disadvantaged regions, he added.

In areas where few businesses operates, such as in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County, public work will continue to be a defining factor, Czomba said. Country-wide public work programmes will remain in place, and local councils will have the chance to offer four-, six- or eight-hour workdays to participants in the system, he added.

If local councils are unable to give people work, their room for manoeuvre will be expanded and they will be allowed to contract out mandatory services to businesses and civil organisations, he said.

A system "backed by genuinely value-creating work" must be created, Czobma said.

With the HUF 64 billion allocated by the government for public work programmes next year, almost 200,000 people could join the labour force, well over the 100,000-110,000 at present, he said. (MTI-ECONEWS)

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